Download the PHM Brochure in English, French and Spanish.

"Primary Health Care was and still is the correct pathway for us all. Let´s listen to these communities. How many times do we allow them to be part of their development? Genuine people-centred initiatives must be strengthened to increase pressure on decision-makers, governments and the private sector to ensure that the vision of Alma-Ata becomes a reality."

Dr. Upunda, Chief Medical Officer Ministry of Health, Tanzania, April 2002, opening a People´s Health Movement workshop in Tanzania

"More than 50 per cent of the people in my country have virtually no access to health care. It´s high time the public sector and the private sector focused on jointly providing health services to all sections of society."

Dr Hugo Icu, Guatemala, January 2004

"I believe in people. People´s health is safest in people´s hand. The objective is to empower individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve health for themselves."

Dr John Oommen, Orissa, India, May 2003

"I am here to show solidarity with fellow activists. There is a need to create a critical mass of people for changing the deteriorating health, social and gender situation."

Dr. Mira Shiva, All-India Drug Action Network, PHA, December 2000

The People´s Health Movement (PHM) has its roots deep in the grassroots people's movement and owes its genesis to many health networks and activists who have been concerned by the growing inequities in health over the last 25 years. The PHM calls for a revitalisation of the principles of the Alma-Ata Declaration which promised Health for All by the year 2000 and complete revision of international and domestic policy that has shown to impact negatively on health status and systems.

Vision

"Equity, ecologically-sustainable development and peace are at the heart of our vision of a better world - a world in which a healthy life for all is a reality; a world that respects, appreciates and celebrates all life and diversity; a world that enables the flowering of people's talents and abilities to enrich each other; a world in which people's voices guide the decisions that shape our lives...."

People's Charter for Health

Objectives

• To promote the Health for All goal through an equitable, participatory and inter-sectoral movement and as a Rights Issue.
• To encourage government and other health agencies to ensure universal access to quality health care, education and social services according to people's needs and not people's ability to pay.
• To promote the participation of people and people's organisations in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of all health and social policies and programmes.
• To promote health along with equity and sustainable development as top priorities in local, national and international policymaking.
• To encourage people to develop their own solutions to local health problems.
• To hold accountable local authorities, national governments, international organisations and corporations.

More background about PHM:

The Peoples Health Movement: A People’s Campaign for Health for All - Now!

About the PHM's global secretariat:

Jun 2009 - Present
Bridget Lloyd, Global Coodinator - Secretariat hosted by PHM-South Africa, Cape Town - South Africa.

Jun 2006 - May 2009
Hani Serag, Global Coodinator - Secretariat hosted by Association for Health and Environmental Development, Cairo - Egypt

Jan 2003 - May 2006
Ravi Narayan, Global Coodinator - Secretariat hosted by Community Health Cell, Bangalore - India

Jan 2001 - Dec 2002
Qasem Chowdhury, Global Coordinator - Secretariat hosted by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Savar - Bangaldesh

Awards

In 2003, Dr. Ravi Narayan, Ms. Mwajuma Masaiganah and Ms. Maria Hamlin Zuniga, representing PHM from Asia, Africa and Latin America, received the AIFO Follereau Award for human rights for PHM's work in safe-guarding the right to health. (Click image to enlarge).